His last day is Feb. 18.

Sampietro, who served 2½ years as chief, said he is retiring for health reasons and to spend more time with his family. His contract was set to expire in June.

“I’ve accomplished all I have to accomplish here,” he said Friday. “The injuries I’ve had over the years crept up and made it harder and harder to do the job. It was a very tough decision.”

Sampietro, who as chief and fire marshal earns a salary of about $80,000, will receive a yearly disability pension of about $69,000. He notified the Fire Commission of his decision this week.

Also retiring this month is veteran Firefighter Anthony Connors, who served more than 20 years with the department.

Sampietro’s grandfather was captain of volunteers in his day and his father was chief of Allingtown from 1969 to 1983. Sampietro’s uncle also served as chief at one time and his brother, Marshall Sampietro, is a captain.

Looking back over his years as chief and deputy chief, Sampietro, 54, said it has been difficult to manage a department with limited resources, but he couldn’t be prouder of what he and his firefighters have accomplished.

“The men always rose to the occasion. I’ve just been blessed to work with a ton of good people over the years,” he said.

Among his greatest accomplishments, Sampietro counts helping the district get more than $1 million in grants over his 16 years as chief and deputy chief.

Sampietro took over the chief’s position after serving as deputy chief from 1992 to 2006. He replaced Chief Elmer Henderson Jr., who retired in 2005. He served as acting chief for one year before being officially named to the top post.

Fire Commission Chairman Louis P. Esposito Jr. praised Sampietro’s dedication to the job.

“He was a good chief. We’ve let him know that he is going to be missed,” Esposito said, adding: “We’ve had our ups and downs as management always does, but at the end of the day he always had the welfare of the people and firefighters at heart.”

Now the Fire Commission faces the task of selecting a new chief to run the department. Esposito said the commission intends to promote from within the ranks rather than open the search to outsiders, a practice that touched off a firestorm of controversy in the recent past.

The 2001 appointment of Henderson, a former New Haven fire lieutenant, to replace Chief Richard Massaro, who resigned following charges of racial bias, stirred conflict when opponents complained the commission should have selected someone within the department. Henderson was the city’s first black fire chief.

Now Deputy Fire Chief Peter Massaro, who filed a lawsuit claiming he was discriminated against during that search because he is white, is next in line for the chief’s job. He is the brother of Richard Massaro.

Esposito said the commission would be meeting soon to start selecting a new chief and fire marshal.

On Friday, fire district leaders praised Sampietro for the job he’s done.

Center District Fire Chief James P. O’Brien said he was surprised by the news, but wishes Sampietro well in his retirement.

“I’ve known Victor all my adult life and he did a great job in all. He followed great footsteps in his father,” he said Friday.

West Shore Deputy Chief Clifford Burns said Sampietro’s retirement will be a large loss.

“He’s just a great person,” he said.

Burns also praised the entire line of Sampietro firefighters who have worked in the city over the years.

“They are a very public service-oriented family. They just have that kindheartedness about them,” he said.

Abbe Smith can be reached at asmith@nhregister.com or 789-5615.